


Happy birthday Kai ❤️

by Monaskai



Category: Ne - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:02:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24419338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monaskai/pseuds/Monaskai





	Happy birthday Kai ❤️

Kai noticed things were odd fairly quickly… he just wasn’t sure what to make of them at first.

He’d been freed by heroes, given a second chance he certainly didn’t deserve if he put his quirk to… Ah, what had they called it? “Beneficial use.” His parole standards were fairly simple; limited access to the public with fairly monitored communications, as well as public service. Kai didn’t necessarily disagree. He was too tired to fight them on terms and conditions. Plus, they gave him a meager salary to get him on his feet. A salary that helped Mona when she was trying to make ends meet.

It was the least he could do. Mona put up with his sorry ass, so he could swallow his pride and do the heroes’ dirty work. And it was… fairly disgusting. 

Kai’d broken out in hives on the first day. For a damn hospital, the things inside of it were fairly disgusting. He refused to take off the simple cloth mask, dousing his hands in borderline boiling water after each injury he dealt with. It was torture, the little voice in his head whispered. Surely this was their actual form of punishment for him. Not Tartarus, not that long-eyelashed freak, but a hospital where he was stuck regrowing limbs or sealing seeping gashes.

“It’s hell,” Kai mumbled into Mona’s stomach. “I’m in hell.”

“How’re you in hell if I’m here?” Mona laughed.

Well, that was true.

Days got easier, weeks went by. Kai’s… tolerance increased, though the disinfectant and mask he carried never went away. It wasn’t that stupid crow’s bill with its blessed air filtering, but it served its purpose. Most heroes that came in were too goddamn senile from pain to realize Overhaul was sewing them back together, and if they did, he didn’t respond to taunts. There wasn’t a point to. He wasn’t Overhaul anymore.

Just Kai Chisaki.

It occurred to him vaguely that since he showed up, the number of heroes with ridiculously severe injuries were increasing. Which he found… vaguely concerning. Kai could construct anything, piece by piece in perfect form without so much as breaking a sweat. Their hands, arms, legs, ripped open abdomens, whatever. It wasn’t difficult so much as it was disgusting and the simple fact he despised doing it.

Until a familiar face appeared in the ER and threw Kai for a complete loop.

That green-haired brat that ruined his original ambitions, limp with skin a freakishly abused russet color, limbs floppy about uselessly like noodles. He was brought in on a stretcher and Kai was dragged out of his comfortable seclusion hiding from everyone around him.

Kai froze when he saw him. The kid was out, long gone somewhere beyond the stars. The thought ticked briefly through his head. They couldn’t stop you if you blew off his head. But then the armed guards surrounding the entrances and exits became all too prominent around him. He’d be dead as soon as he committed the crime. That would be unacceptable. Mona would cry. Mona would cry, and his long, long lists of debts would forever go unpaid.

Overhaul crackled to life as bones rolled and shifted throughout the kid’s body, sharp creaks and wet sounds a cacophony in the silence. Nurses and doctors barked over his shoulder. Clavicle, sternum, femur-

The fuck? Kai almost stopped cold. The sternum and femur were the two strongest bones in the human body. Yet here that kid midoriya? was passed out without a goddamn clue what was happening with both bones nearly shattered. Kai stepped back as the actual professionals huddled around, making sure Kai’s petty grudges didn’t hinder his work.

Kai, meanwhile, was troubled.

He was blinded by his own avarice before. When he last fought the brat, how old was he? 14? 15? Too young. Even now, too young. His skin lost that sickly red tone, fading into something closer to a healthy color. Kai glanced down at the record that arrived with the kid.

Midoriya Izuku. 17.

They were letting a 17 year-old maim themselves? For fucking what? Holding up their stupid heroic ideals?

That didn’t sit well with him for some reason. It never bothered him before. Why was it flipping him out now? Because it was inhumane? Like Kai was one to talk about inhumane. … It still bothered him. For some reason, it twisted his stomach. It never had before. Why now?

Because they’re abusing his strength the same way they abuse yours.

Kai grimaced beneath his mask.

Mona was making him soft.

The next morning, the kid was awake. Doctors and nurses were fawning over him, constantly making sure he was alright. The kid took it all in stride, even looking embarrassed. He didn’t like the attention very much, that was for sure. Attention Kai was certain was best sent elsewhere.

Especially when that attention led to another patient nearly bleeding out.

Kai had noticed accidentally, returning after washing his hands for the millionth time. He nearly had the gloves back on when he was striding past beds, intending to disappear again, when he just happened to stumble over a cracked tile. Kai cursed, catching his balance as he straightened up, brushing himself off. He raised his head and saw red.

Red seeping out of bandages. Kai had half a mind to just ignore it and walk on, but his body was moving before he could tell himself no. Kai touched bandages that disintegrated under his touch, Overhaul crackling as the wound seeped shut. The clamor around him was undeniable, but Kai was watching torn sutures go up in smokes as skin meshed together. Footsteps clattered around as the curtain was ripped back. Kai glanced down at the chart beside the bed

Quirk: Wireless communication.

A support, huh?

Kai’s eyes narrowed into slits, holding up a red hand. “Finished.”

The doctors blubbered as they crowded the patient. Kai rolled his eyes and slid between them, sprinting to get the blood off his hand. He scrubbed for minutes before deciding it was clean, sliding gloves back over his hands. He felt sick. Not just because it was absolutely gross because it was, but because it was a blatant disregard for patients without…

Well, without beneficial Quirks.

Kai was halfway to his hiding place when doctors caught up to him.

“Chisaki-”

Kai stopped with a low groan. “What?”

“You weren’t told to use your Quirk on that patient-”

“Wasn’t told?” Kai turned on his heel, voice cold. “Aren’t you a doctor? Isn’t your job to save lives? Why should using my Quirk matter when under your negligible care you allowed a patient’s life to almost slip away?”

“What if you were needed-”

“-if I were needed to heal someone with a more powerful tool for your jackass commissioner?” Kai scoffed. “Don’t make me laugh.”

Kai sneered at his dumbfounded expression, turning to leave when he saw the kid again, sitting upright in bed with eyes wide as saucers. Kai knew he visibly stiffened, felt his muscles coil, eyes going wide before narrowing. He closed his eyes and left, going back to hide.

What he didn’t expect was for the kid to follow him. Or for anyone to let him for that matter.

“You’re… You have arms?”

Kai nearly jumped out of his skin, grabbing the wall for support. The question almost made him laugh if it weren’t coming from that brat. Kai looked over his shoulder, shoving his hands inside his pockets. The green-eyed brat jumped, fidgeting nervously.

“Why are you…” the kid swallowed hard. “What are you doing in a hero’s hospital?”

“At this point I’m calling it torture,” Kai turned slightly, facing him a little bit more. “I believe the proper term is ‘public service’.”

Kai’s skin itched. The kid didn’t seem to know what to say. Kai turned to leave, fingers sliding up his sleeve, pushing fabric up to claw at old scars. He abruptly shoved it down when the kid made what almost sounded like a whine of pain.

“... There were rumors that you were used the way Eri was,” the kid said quietly.

Now his skin was crawling.

“Karma,” Kai said simply, trying to end this conversation as fast as humanly possible. “Anything else?”

“... Was that patient really about to die?”

Kai frowned. “Yes.”

“Because they were busy with me?”

“Yes.”

His brow furrowed. The kid was troubled.

Kai walked away, trying his best not to claw at himself.

He was troubled, too.

“I’m just saying-”

“Kai, I love you,” Mona held his face between his hands. “But you obsess over problems like these. When you obsess, you start scheming. When you start scheming, you go off the deep end. Let’s try not to overthink, okay?”

“Someone would have died if I didn’t trip,” Kai scowled. “Am I wrong in saying there is an issue with that?”

“No,” Mona sighed. “But what can you even do about it?”

Kai’s gaze dropped between them. Kill someone. That normally solved a few problems. Normally made a few more, too. He didn’t understand why it was bothering him so much. Kai could give a rat’s ass what happened to these people. He really didn’t give a damn. Except apparently he did, and he had a feeling it was because he was staring at Mona’s very round belly with their son inside of it.

“What if he becomes a hero with a shitty Quirk?” Kai ran his hand over her stomach. “And they just let him die?”

“Kai, that’s not even funny.”

“Not, it’s not,” Kai lifted his gaze back up to her. “That’s the problem.”

“Okay, what if you could do something about it? You don’t have the resources-”

“What about Pops?” Kai’s eyes fell down away. “Are they even taking care of him because he’s my father? Did they just let him die, or are they keeping him alive for her? Is it just because of my association that they’re going to ki-”

“Kai.”

“How am I supposed to repay my debts if he’s dead?”

Tears were sliding down his face. Mona kissed his forehead and wiped them away, though they kept falling without a sign of stopping. The thought of that was suffocating. He’d already flown off the handle once, and it ended with his sociopathic idiocy putting Pops in a coma. And creating a violent crime syndicate built on top of his own massive ego and self-righteous blinded arrogance. Committing possibly unforgivable crimes against a child that sent him into the arms of-

Kai felt sick again.

“I want things to be better,” he murmured.

Mona kissed the side of his head. “And they will be. You’re gonna be a dad soon, Kai. Things are going to be amazing.”

Why did he still doubt that?

He couldn’t stop fucking crying.

Mona’s head rested against his, her eyes tired and her body exhausted. In his arms was their son. His son. A tiny little bundle that ripped his heart out without any pain was actually in his arms. After so many fucking failed attempts, he was here. Their son was here. Kai’s son. Mona’s son. It was surreal. Like being in a goddamn dream. This couldn’t even be real, could it? Five hours ago, he was pacing about to have a fucking panic attack until Viola forced him to sit down and sang him into a vague state of ease. Not that Hiro had been much better because Viola eventually had to force him to sit too. Kai had heard her heart hammering in her chest. She was just as terrified as he was, yet she was so much braver.

And now he was sobbing, cradling a small bundle in a blue blanket that paled in comparison to the blue eyes staring wide open at his parents. Mona cooed at him, laughing and smiling. One of his chubby little hands wormed its way out of the blanket, reaching for Kai.

“Hey, buddy,” Kai’s voice was choked as he smiled. “You’re here. You’re actually here.”

Mona hugged his arm, humming contentedly. Kai offered him a finger, another wave of fresh tears spilling when his son grabbed it with a loud, happy sound. Kai cursed as Mona wiped his face, hand dropping to cup their boy’s tiny head.

“His first memories are going to be of me crying,” Kai laughed. “Jesus.”

“No, they’re going to be knowing that you love him,” Mona stroked his cheek with a finger. “We still have to name him.”

“Eric,” Kai said instantly.

Mona snorted. “That’s not even Japanese.”

“Well, you liked it,” Kai sniffed, resting his head against hers. “He can have a Japanese name for school, and we’ll call him Eric from his middle name. So he doesn’t get made fun of.”

“Kai, you’re already six years in the future,” she laughed.

“No, three,” Kai sniffed again. “You can’t sit there and tell me their kid isn’t going to be a loudmouthed little shit.”

“Why would Remy and Enoch’s child with parents with very not Japanese sounding names make fun of Eric?” Mona laughed, looking up at him now.

“S-shush,” Kai pulled him closer. “I’m going to give him everything. He’s not going to grow up the way I did. He’s always going to be loved.”

“I know,” Mona nodded. “You’re gonna be a great dad, Chisaki.”

Kai didn’t stop crying by the time Hiro and Viola came in to say goodbye. He didn’t stop crying by the time Mona fell asleep, or when the nurses came for their final rounds before morning. Kai sat quietly and held his son who clung to his finger while Mona slept.

He wanted to show him to Pops. Show him he was changing. Getting better. Being the man he always hoped he would become. Not the sociopathic maniac hellbent on extremist change. But he couldn’t do that yet. Kai couldn’t bear to come to him as he was now, even if he was awake and well. There was so much ahead of him. So much he had to fix and repent for. Having a son wasn’t part of that.

But having a son planted the idea in his mind.

Eric curled into Kai’s chest, still holding his finger. Kai’s heart clenched with another wave of tears.

The world right now was flawed. It was a world where people were cast aside for being weak. Kai didn’t think Eric was going to be weak. Not with who his parents were. But maybe someone he’d love one day would be. Maybe the person he married or called his best friend. Kai didn’t want that to plague him like it already plagued Kai with worry.

He could still change things, even if it was still for selfish reasons. But at least they didn't stem from desperation or obsession. They came from something totally new. Something Kai had chased for years besides approval. This was only the beginning.

“You’re gonna grow up happy,” Kai promised him. “You’re not going to be in a world that tosses people aside because of a stupid Quirk. No one you love is either.”

Kai clutched him tighter, tears finally drying up.

“I’ll change the world for you, kid,” Kai whispered. “It’ll be a better place. You’ll see.”

Kai mulled the idea over for an entire year before he even dared to speak it into existence. He still wasn’t sure if it was worth pursuing. Hell, it was a batshit crazy scheme. The things he’d have to do to even begin gaining momentum were beyond insane. Kai knew it’d be nearly impossible for him to do it alone. Overhaul was too flashy to accomplish the first step. A very dangerous and possibly insane first step that Kai knew had to happen to get anywhere. Telling Mona right now without a solid plan would be stupid. There were too many questions he needed answered first.

“How did you do it?”

Enoch slipped the silver pocket watch back inside his pocket. “I stole someone’s identity and walked through the front door.”

Kai glowered at him before Enoch raised a scarred eyebrow and scoffed.

“You think I’m joking, but that’s what happened,” Enoch took the pocket watch back out and slid it across the table to him. “Or are you asking how I actually rebuilt it?”

“All of it,” Kai turned it over, eyeing the silver spiral. “Start to finish.”

Enoch sighed, running fingers through his hair. He glanced over his shoulder at the door, making sure it wasn’t opening any time soon. They were sitting in Kai’s office, the hazel-eyed man donned in solid black. Kai always thought he looked more menacing as the Crow. The shadows around his eyes hung darker, the scars leered more menacingly. The mask hung around his neck, empty green eyes staring. Enoch pulled it off and set it aside, crossing his legs.

“IZMay was one of the Guilds in Acedia,” he started slowly. “They ran the matches, but they weren’t very successful at pulling good Gladiators. How they actually made bank was through a series of black markets and a drug called bliss. Basically heroin, but worse.

“I was sold to IZMay young,” Enoch’s boot was bouncing nervously. “Which you know. Their Guildmaster was a prick named Alexander Medved, who was also my sponsor. Medved made a lot of mistakes that undermined his power after I ‘died’. Those mistakes left him vulnerable.”

“Such as?”

“Slew of things,” Enoch sighed. “Crippled Zion with overselling bliss, split their profits with Freemason and fucked up Etna along the way, threw too much stock in me. I think the worst thing he did was leave my people alive. I literally walked in the front door, made a public service announcement that I was alive, killed him, and my entire team came running. All of my trainers, managers, runners. Everyone else basically split. No one fought me for the name. I took IZMay and did what I wanted with it.”

“So the databases, the connections-”

“I just repurposed them,” Enoch nodded. “I mean, you know what IZMay is for nowadays. My people were around Remy as much as I was. Convincing them wasn’t hard.”

“I want to revitalize the Shie Hassakai,” Kai finally admitted. “Do you think it’s possible?”

“People still loyal to you?” Enoch’s head tilted. “Did you form connections that mattered?”

“... I think so. If they haven’t grown to hate me over the years.”

“Take it from me,” Enoch leaned forward, smirking. “I thought maybe two would return. I walked away with all ten. They’ll surprise you. Plus, you’re a hell of a lot more charming than I am.”

Mona didn’t respond as warmly to the idea.

“There are gaps,” Kai insisted. “That need filled. Inequality that can be erased. I’m not going to be their puppet forever, Mona. Heroes and Quirks are still a massive problem in society, but if we can stand as a middleman-”

“Kai, this is insanely dangerous,” she said firmly. “I understand. I do. But how are you going to perform a large scale prison riot for ten criminals who are definitely under extreme scrutiny? If something happens to you-”

“I won’t be involved,” Kai grabbed a piece of paper. “We know people who can tap into their systems and gather information. There are too many eyes on me anyway, and Overhaul is too flashy. However, Enoch-”

“Enoch is going to help you break 10 members of the yakuza out of prison?”

“-can slip in undetected, release a bunch of prisoners to cause a riot, and then at the very least start with Hari and Joi. And then you-”

“Me?”

“-can portal them out and it’ll be like we were never there.”

“And you just assumed I would help you commit like… 20 felonies?”

Kai just looked at her. Mona groaned.

“Okay, fine. Yes. But who’s gonna watch Eric and Mari?”

“Remy.”

Mona laughed. Kai was a bit taken back when she wiped her eyes, looking down at his hastily drawn diagram.

“You are serious about this if you’re leaving him alone with Remy,” she snorted. “Okay. When are we doing this?”

Kai beamed.

Kai was watching through cameras, tracking the slither of Enoch’s form through the shadows along the walls. They’d hacked in far earlier with the help of some of Enoch’s connections, Kai guiding him towards the main security center through an earpiece. Mona was bouncing up and down in the corner, getting herself ready to start her own assignment. They were camped out in an old Shie Hassakai warehouse, armed like a fortress.

Gold eyes watched Enoch slide under the security center’s door, adrenaline spiking when Enoch ripped from the darkness in a blur, cloaked in the same black with the eyes of his mask gleaming viciously. Shadows surged like sludge, throwing the armed guards against the wall, choking them out as they were dropped to the floor like sacks of skin. The workers were dropped in the same manner. Kai paled.

“Did you kill them?”

“Nah, they’re just sleepin’,” Enoch’s voice crackled. “Who am I looking for?”

“Hari Kurono and Joi Irinaka.”

“You told me like eight other names-”

“Enoch.”

“Fine.”

Enoch approached the computer, sticking a hard drive into it as the silver swirl appeared over the screen. He typed away, pulling up two mugshots. The Crow turned around to the camera and pointed to them.

“These fuckers?”

“Yes,” Kai couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice. “Can you find the rest?”

“Yah,” Enoch clicked his tongue turning around. A body stirred in the corner when a shadow stuffed itself over its mouth and nose. “Names?”

“Shin Nemoto, Rikiya Katsukame, Toya Setsuno, Yu Hojo, Soramitsu Tabe, Kendo Rappa, Hekiji Tengai, and Deidoro Sakaki.”

“Ain’t one of these fuckers an alcoholic?”

“Not relevant.”

Enoch rolled his eyes as eight more portraits appeared. Kai nodded as Enoch pulled off a glove, scrawling prison cells across the back of his hand before replacing it. Kai leaned forward as Enoch overrode the main security system.

“I’m gonna release cells at random except for these ten,” Enoch pointed. “I sent the coordinates to you as well, so Mona knows where to open portals. They’re gonna be on a timer though, so we’ve gotta move fast. Going in numerical order. I’m ready if you are.”

“Open the gates.”

Enoch slapped a button as alarms screamed to life, deleting whatever information he’d brought up as the hard drive was released, melting into the shadows like water, shooting out of the room like a bullet as the red glare shot to life. Kai began reading the first location to Mona, watching in amazement as a lilac sphere appeared. Simultaneously, Enoch emerged in the first cell housing Shin, who looked petrified at the sight of the crow-masked man.

He said something to Enoch as the portal appeared in his cell. Shin jumped into it without question as the cell door lifted, Enoch shooting off again. Kai blinked and suddenly his shadow severed, darting off in different directions.

“So, uh, people are moving quickly,” Enoch’s voice was garbled. “Can Mona do 9 portals?”

“Can I do 9 portals,” Mona mocked, hauling Shin out of the first. “Gimme the digits, Chisaki.”

Kai read them off in succession, watching in amazement as portals and shadows shoved his subordinates through, each appearing behind him talking in loud confusion. Shadows were slithering from every direction as they rejoined Enoch in Hari’s former cell, bars lifting as he jumped through Mona’s portal, closing in a snap. Kai quickly disabled and wiped the connection, standing up in shock.

When he turned around, 10 terrifying sets of eyes were locked on him. Mona was hauling Enoch to his feet as the man ripped his mask off gasping for air.

“Are you fucking dying?” Mona echoed Kai’s thoughts, slinging his arm over her shoulders.

“T-that was-” he coughed. “The most clones I’ve ever made at once. All moving very quickly. I am going to go lay down while you go do yakuza things.”

Kai rolled his eyes as Enoch flopped down on a crate. Mona went to make sure he wasn’t actually dying as Kai turned to address the eyes on him.

“B-boss?” Hari looked beyond incredulous.

Kai smiled behind his mask before realizing they couldn’t see it. He pulled the loops of black fabric off his ears and repeated the gesture, almost laughing when they all shared one collective floored expression.

“Welcome back,” Kai put his hands inside his pockets. “Before I say anything, I… believe it’s best if I apologize. I was foolish and arrogant. I sacrificed everything for an idiotic goal. I know it’s been a while, but… There are things I’d like to change. The first of which is the Shie Hassakai. If you’d have me again, I’d like to work with you to make these changes. You don’t have to stay. If you wish to walk away, you may. I put you in prison from my own selfishness. It is only right I give you the freedom to walk away.”

He nearly crumbled when all ten remained.

Kai wanted them all to heal.

That was what he told them, and that is what they did. Slowly, but surely. Kai abandoned his work at the hero hospital, disappearing into obscurity as he worked with Hari and Joi to reposition the Shie Hassakai. It was a difficult task. Their code of ethics had to be strictly abided by to have any credibility, and reigning that it was an initial nightmare only his authority could establish. Reforming connections and establishing the shift in disposition wasn’t easily accepted by many of them, but even Rappa was eventually moved. 

There were sleepless nights and minor crises, but nothing Kai found he couldn’t handle.

The Shie Hassakai remained obscured until Kai allowed its presence to flourish. A gray middleman. That’s what people who knew of the new organization called it. Precisely what Kai hoped it would be. Moving towards what Pops would have wanted. Enough that when the heroes discovered who was sitting at the helm, they did nothing.

Kai was left alone.

Alone until a letter appeared at his office door, sealed with the UA symbol. Kai’s stomach churned as he opened the door, striding inside with eyes glued to it. When he sat down at his desk, he paused.

He didn’t know what the hell it could be.

Kai plucked a letter opener from his desk and sliced it open, pulling out a letter. His brow furrowed. Fingers slowly peeled it open, finding a very simple typed message that made his blood run cold and his entire body to lock up.

I thought you deserved to know, it read. That your old man is awake.  
Midoriya

Along with an address.

He sat frozen for a second, just staring at it. Was he reading the words right? Was this… was this actually happening? Kai suddenly felt very small, like he was the same kid from all those years ago dying for love and affection. Driven down a dark path that old man fought tirelessly to save him from, only for Kai to ruin everything for mania and pride. Kai’s hands were shaking. He wanted to go. Every fiber of himself was screaming to drop everything and go. Yet he was locked in place by fear. Because what if he was disgusted? What if he didn’t recognize the man he was today-

His office door opened. Hari stepped through.

“Chisaki? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Hari approached the desk. Kai just handed him the letter, watching his expression like a hawk. It never changed from its usual stoicism until he placed it back in Kai’s hands.

“They wouldn’t have sent it to you if he didn’t want to see you.”

Kai looked aside. He took a deep breath and stood slowly.

“Look after things today.”

He left, fingers crumpling the paper.

It was a hospital. A neutral site.

Kai pulled down his mask and they allowed him inside without question.

Now, he was standing outside the room door, paralyzed with fear. All his nerves felt like they were on fire. The only times he could remember feeling like this was on death’s door. He might as well be knocking on it. Kai felt like he was walking into the belly of the beast. Walking into something that might utterly destroy him without a second to spare.

They wouldn’t have sent it to you if he didn’t want to see you.

Kai placed all his confidence in Hari’s words and slid open the door.

The room was bright, a small vase filled with flowers sitting by the bedside. In that bedside was an elderly man, broad shoulders despite it all with long grayed hair and dark eyes that hid kindness until a firm set mouth. The man looked up as Kai stepped through, vision swimming. Kai closed the door behind him, trying to keep his hands from shaking. Everything in him was shaking as the old man looked him over with that cold expression, trying to keep his chin up and now bow and throw himself to the floor shouting apologies. He could buckle any second under the pressure.

Finally, the old man spoke.

He didn’t smile.

“Kai. I’ve heard many things about you.”

“H-how?” Kai’s voice was choked with tears that weren’t yet falling. “I did-”

“Your worst, I am aware,” his face fell grim for a moment. “My granddaughter. She is learning to control her Quirk. It seems fitting she reversed the damage you caused.”

“Pops, I-”

“Come here. Let me have a better look at you.”

Kai’s body was moving for him. He snatched a chair on his way, setting it beside his bed, head bowed. Kai only raised his head when he was asked to, a wrinkled smile pulling at the old man’s eyes when he appraised his son. Kai’s heart felt gutted, shredded apart and stitched together with infected sutures.

“I tried to teach you the right way of doing things,” he sighed. “Honor. Chivalry. When I pulled you from the streets, I wanted to teach you more than that. Family. Love. Compassion. Happiness.”

Kai bowed his head again, waiting for the axe to fall.

“It seems some of that rubbed off on you after all.”

“P-pops, I’m so sorry-”

“Enough of that,” he placed two aged fingers under Kai’s chin, raising teary golden eyes to meet his. “I know you are. The stories I have heard speak to that.”

“I’ve tried to do you right, Pops,” Kai was shaking, clutching himself. “I was a fool. An arrogant, prideful fool who couldn’t see what was in front of me. There is no way I’ll ever fully repay my debt to you, but I will spend my entire life trying to atone-”

“Enough of that, Kai,” he said again, firmer. “Enough.”

He leaned forward and placed a hand on Kai's head, momentarily stopping the tears. The old man smiled again.

“Rest easy now, Kai. You’ve done enough.”

Kai broke.

It was shameful to sit here and cry in front of the old man like this. It was a disgrace. Yet Kai couldn’t stop the tears and the old man continued to rub his head. How many terrible things had he done to the man who forgave him so easily? To the people he loved, to his empire, to his world? He said it was enough. Kai doubted it would ever be because the tears that kept falling would not leave. The old man sat with him, quietly, until the weight finally slipped off Kai’s shoulders and tumbled to the floor, discarded and erased. Kai could finally look him in the eye and choke out another apology. The old man ignored it.

“They tell me you have a family now,” the old man said softly. “Tell me about that.”

Kai told him everything through the tears, pulling off a glove to reveal his wedding band. The old man nodded as Kai told him everything, start to finish. His face fell into a complicated puzzle when Kai lifted his sleeves, revealing the two years of scars and abuse.

“Kai,” he said slowly. “I think I’d like to meet my grandson and my daughter-in-law.”

Kai immediately called Mona, and Mona brought Eric within the hour.

Mona’s hands remained on his shoulders as the old man held Eric on his lap, laughing and smiling in a way Kai never remembered seeing. Eric was showing him his raccoon, the old man listening to the boy tell stories a while a minute. Kai was still crying. He couldn’t stop.

Mona squeezed his shoulders and leaned into his ear, pressing a kiss against the side of his head.

“You’ve done enough, Kai.”

He broke again. Except this time when he broke, he wasn’t alone. He was with the people who loved him the most. When Eric noticed his father crying, he frowned.

“Dad-”

“Come now, Kai,” the old man shifted, reaching out with watery eyes. “There are no more tears to be shed. That sadness is over. … Now, you are finally home.”

Kai clutched the old man’s hand and sobbed with his wife around him and his son in his arms. Everything poured out, one last open wound that was slowly stitching itself back together with them surrounding him. His cheeks might have been raw and his eyes might have stung, but he could no longer feel the pain. The cries might have gutted him before, but now the burning sensation abandoned him completely.

Home.

He was finally at home. At peace.

He would never jeopardize it again.


End file.
